Gold Coast Woman of the Year: How brave nurse faces the frontline every day while juggling family, fitness and business

This Gold Coast nurse is also a wife, mother, grandmother, administration officer and body builder – and that’s just in her spare time.

Therese White is a finalist in our Harvey Norman Women of the Year awards. She is the head nurse at Robina public hospital, mum of two daughters and “puts everyone else first”. PHOTO: Nick Northcoat Captivating Visuals

THERESE White is a wife, mother, grandmother, administration assistant and body builder – and that’s just her roles in her spare time.

The 49-year-old from Tweed Heads is also a clinic nurse consultant at Robina Hospital, risking her own health to help others during the coronavirus pandemic.

It’s Ms White’s discipline and caring nature that has earned her a spot as a finalist in our Harvey Norman Women of the Year awards in the Angels Among Us category.

“There were many times where I would come home and cry to my husband (about the threat of coronavirus),” Ms White said. “But you still pick yourself up and do it.”

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Therese White is a finalist in our Harvey Norman Women of the Year awards in the Angels Among Us category.

After spending many years running a household, managing the books of multiple family businesses and dedicating herself to her day job, Ms White decided it was time to do something for herself and began training for body building competitions.

After a year of strict dieting and exercise, she was “stage ready” and looking forward to competing – until coronavirus restrictions caused all fitness events to be cancelled.

“The joys of the coronavirus hit again,” Ms White said.

“I was two weeks out from the competition and it was all cancelled, I was devastated.”

Late last year Ms White’s husband organised a photo shoot for her as a Christmas present, with the images to be used for competition entries.

“Originally I wasn’t going to go through with the photo shoot (after the competitions were cancelled) but I thought ‘you’ve come so far’.

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Ms White thought about cancelling her fitness photoshoot after the competitions were cancelled, but went ahead with it anyway and felt proud of herself. PHOTO: Nick Northcoat Captivating Visuals

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“I did it and it picked me up, made me feel like I’d achieved something.”

As a top three finalist in Women of the Year, Ms White has a chance to be crowned the winner of her category as well as the winner of the People’s Choice vote.

The popular vote is open at womenoftheyear.com.au until Saturday.

“I’ve never won anything in my life. I would probably cry if I won,” she said.

“I don’t see myself in the light others see, I get on with my day and do what I have to do.

“It is a juggle, there’s not a lot of time for me when I think about it. But it’s just an every day thing, I just get it done.”